From section to structure: Assessing the impact of localized corrosion on reinforced concrete beams

Abstract The structural behavior of reinforced concrete (RC) elements affected by localized corrosion represents a major challenge for ensuring structural safety and for the proper design of strengthening interventions. The effects of localized corrosion on the flexural behavior of RC beams remain a topic of debate within the scientific community. In this context, the present study presents a numerical investigation into the influence of localized corrosion on the flexural performance of RC elements with longitudinal reinforcement ratios ranging from 0.45% to 1.05%. Sectional and structural analyses were conducted on RC elements in which the longitudinal rebars were explicitly modeled to account for localized corrosion. Numerical results demonstrate that localized corrosion can significantly impact both flexural strength and ductility, with effects that differ between sectional and structural levels. Furthermore, the findings indicate that evaluating the ductility of an RC beam at the sectional level may become unreliable once a certain threshold of corrosion attack is exceeded.